


Things That Go Bump in the Night

by Bideroo



Category: Free!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Never Met, Awkward Flirting, Crack, Drinking, Explicit Language, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, M/M, Mentions of Fantastic Music, Misunderstandings, Moth!Rei AU, snarky humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:54:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23707972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bideroo/pseuds/Bideroo
Summary: Sousuke's on a mission to track down the dastardly vandals getting into his trash, night after night.  He ends up with a LOT more than he bargained for.
Relationships: Ryuugazaki Rei/Yamazaki Sousuke
Comments: 21
Kudos: 16





	Things That Go Bump in the Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BishieKeeper](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=BishieKeeper).



> A gift for the lovely and ever-supportive BishieKeeper!! Gurl, you wanted some Moth!Rei, and it is my sincere hope this delivers. I know it's a bit different than we'd discussed, all those months ago, but I had so much fun writing this, and I hope like hell you have a blast, reading it. :)
> 
> My goal was to craft a story that would be enjoyable to anyone brave enough to click on it. *laughs* So while I've tagged it as 'crack', I did my best to tell a [reasonably] believable, interesting story. I hope you all have as much fun with it as I did!

Sousuke is bolt upright in his bed, gasping, before his eyes even peel open. Not that it's all that helpful when they do; aside from generalized shadows quickly catalogued as his dresser, closet door, and an ominously tilted stack of dirty clothes atop his hamper, there's nothing to see. Dark, just as it should be at three o'clock in the fucking morning.

Sousuke glares impotently at his alarm clock. Why the hell is he awake, then? And not just awake, Sousuke realizes, skin buzzing with the adrenaline hurtling through his veins. Startled from a dead sleep, more like, and he pulls in a deep, hitching breath.

A nightmare, maybe? His lips purse, scanning for a recollection of whatever his subconscious had been up to moments prior, and Sousuke is several seconds into coming up blank when he hears it. A rattle, like cans jostled together.

His anger is zero to sixty in a split-second, vision already rage-red when a much louder 'bang' cracks through his wall from the backyard. "God DAMN IT!!" he hollers at absolutely no one, leaping from the bed, still sleep-confused and clumsy. Precious seconds are wasted deducing that he is tripping repeatedly over his comforter only because his hands are fury-fisted into it and dragging it along.

Anger and confusion pull a truly cringe-worthy sound from his throat- some sort of whimper-yell that accompanies the bedspread in its sudden arc back to the mattress- and Sousuke soldiers on, bare feet slapping the hardwood like it insulted his mother. He neither registers nor cares, upon bursting like fireworks onto his back deck, that he is at least seven-eighths naked, and only just manages to hold in what would have likely been a barbarian scream loud enough to wake the neighborhood.

His trash bin leans precariously against the railing, and the recycling is already toppled. Sousuke allows himself a quick pout, alone in the pre-dawn hours, dew damp at his feet and leg hair puffing in the breeze. This is not his first go-round with who or whatever is vandalizing his bins, but the beer cans, junk mail, and… Is that a cereal box? spread across his backyard is a new development.

Why the recycling, this time? And he can't really… DO anything about it, currently. Even if his neighbors managed to sleep through the cacophony of the thing dumping over (SOUSUKE certainly didn't), there's no way the clean-up wouldn't disturb them.

"Fuck my life," Sousuke announces with a decisive nod. He is at an impasse, pissed, tired as hell, and the embarrassment he was too angry for earlier finally slams home.

Refusing to look down, Sousuke does a slow spin, heading back to the door. Not that it matters. He doesn't have to look to know. He carries himself with all the dignity one can muster on one's back porch at ass o'clock in the morning wearing nothing but a tiny, baby-blue pair of briefs. Which is to say, almost none.

_ I'll deal with this when I wake up, _ he bargains with himself, giving the comforter a half-hearted floof before flopping to the bed. To his relief, it seems his backyard pranksters are on to other things, and it isn't long until his breaths are regular and deep, sleep finding him again.

  
  


*

  
  


"Oh my," Sousuke hears after his first armful of aluminum lands in the bin. Looking up, his gaze settles on his next-door neighbor, meandering over with his hands in his trouser pockets. "What happened?"

Sousuke swings a hand out, a sweeping gesture intended to display not only the debris stretched halfway across his yard, but his deep and abiding irritation with the entire situation. "Something keeps getting into my trash," he mutters, bending down to snag a few more bits. "Scared the shit out of me, earlier this morning."

With a sympathetic click of his tongue, his neighbor wanders to the cereal box, picking it up. "How inconvenient," he breathes, slowly gathering trash as he makes his way back to Sousuke.

"Ryuugazaki, you don't need to-"

"Nonsense. What are neighbors for?" the man insists, tossing his pickings into the bin and flashing Sousuke a wide grin. "If there's two of us, it'll only take half the time to clean up!"

Sousuke can feel his face stretching into a smile before he can stop it, and his hand lands on his neck, displeased with allowing himself to be so  _ moved _ over a simple act of kindness. Or maybe it's those pretty white teeth, perfect and gleaming between dimpled cheeks- 

"That's…" Sousuke blurts, more to stop his own train of thought than in any real attempt to communicate. "Really kind of you."

Another smile, and then Ryuugazaki heads back out into the yard, leaving Sousuke to his- admittedly confusing- thoughts.

Ryuugazaki had moved into the little house next to Sousuke's about a year prior, and while the man had been nothing but kind when interacting with Sousuke and the others in the neighborhood, Sousuke doesn't really know much about him.

The guy keeps to himself, for the most part, rarely spotted outside except for early morning or twilight hours spent busily fussing with his flower garden. Come to think of it, this might actually be the first time since the man's move-in that Sousuke's seen him in the clear light of day.

Their conversations have been pretty sporadic as well, though not for lack of trying on Sousuke's part. Sousuke had made a game of it with himself, the first couple of months. Something about the way the man speaks is fascinating, and Sousuke had spent any chance he could get trying to place his accent. Clipped consonants, an almost sonorous and 'buzzy' tone to his vowels… When Sousuke had finally broken down and asked, Ryuugazaki had hand-waved it away, murmuring a vague and utterly informationless 'up north, you wouldn't be familiar' and had pointedly changed the subject.

Contemplatively, Sousuke studies Ryuugazaki's ass as the guy bends down to retrieve yet another beer can. Easy on the eyes, for sure. Long-legged, tall (though not quite as towering as Sousuke himself), and brutally well-built. Sousuke absently wonders if the dude is a swimmer, managing to return to his clean-up duties just before Ryuugazaki can catch him staring.

"Kind of embarrassing," Sousuke chuckles into the relative silence, sweeping up a half-crushed granola bar box. "I didn't particularly want my neighbor to know I eat children's cereal and drink entirely too much beer."

"You should see my cupboards," Ryuugazaki replies, his warm laughter lighting Sousuke up like Christmas. "Ninety percent of the time, I cook and eat like an adult. But when I don't…" Trailing off, Ryuugazaki comes to a stop in front of Sousuke, trash clattering to the bin. "I'm very bad."

Sousuke blinks. Ryuugazaki's eyebrow is arched playfully over his glasses, and holy  _ shit, _ Sousuke has never seen eyes that color in his life. In the cheerful mid-morning light, they look almost  _ violet. _

_ Is he flirting? I think maybe he's… Oh SHIT, say something, dumbass! _ "We can't be good all the time," Sousuke pushes out, hoping the low, rumbly register he chooses makes up for the disappointing lack of 'snap' in his comeback.

"A man after my own heart," Ryuugazaki murmurs, the corner of his mouth tilting up, and Sousuke barely resists a triumphant fist-pump when the guy heads back into the yard.

_ Definitely flirting. Capitalize, Yamazaki. _ "Let me make you breakfast, since you were kind enough to waste your time on disaster relief, this morning."

"Ah," Ryuugazaki sighs, straightening and pressing his hands to his lower back, stretching. "I would love to, Yamazaki-san, but I'm afraid I have some rest to catch up on."

Gathering the last few cans, Sousuke pushes down his disappointment. "You work nights?" he asks, finishing up and flipping the bin lid closed. When he turns, Ryuugazaki is RIGHT THERE.

"Something like that," Ryuugazaki chuckles as Sousuke startles. "I hope your day improves, Yamazaki-san."

"Rain check?" Sousuke breathes, because it would be an affront to everyone who'd ever spent even a moment nurturing and encouraging Sousuke into the man he is today if he let this opportunity slip. It could be another month before they run into each other again, and with the surprising way their conversation has gone- not to mention how  _ close _ Ryuugazaki is standing- Sousuke has no interest in waiting.

But the man's eyebrows furrow, and Sousuke finds himself involuntarily stepping backward at Ryuugazaki's pensive expression. "We'll see," Ryuugazaki eventually offers, Sousuke frantically trying to determine where he miscalculated, but Ryuugazaki steps forward, once again closing the distance between them. 

"You… should wear light blue more often," the dude says, apropos of fucking NOTHING as far as Sousuke can determine, and his gaze lingers on Sousuke's long enough for Sousuke to wonder if he's about to be kissed. 

"It's a good color on you," Ryuugazaki eventually shrugs, then heads back to his own yard, a hand lifted over his shoulder. "'Til we meet again, Yamazaki-san."

"Yeah," Sousuke manages, voice hoarse. 

He's had some bizarre conversations in his day, but that right there? That takes the cake. Sousuke is virtually certain SOMETHING was going on, so why did the guy act like Sousuke had asked for a loan instead of a rain check? And then chased after, when Sousuke backpedaled? And what the HELL was that about his shirt, or whatever?

Sousuke's lips pull into a cringe. He'd been so distracted by… whatever the hell was going on, he forgot to ask Ryuugazaki about the records.

Over the last several months, Sousuke had been receiving… gifts? No discernable pattern to the activity, but occasionally, Sousuke's trips to the mailbox would be rewarded with the discovery of an anonymously placed record. All vintage vinyl. All American classic rock.

He has no idea where they're coming from. Even more disturbing, they all seem plucked from Sousuke's personal 'wish list'. Who the hell even knows him well enough to suspect he'd enjoy them? But enjoy them, he does, and his interest in determining who is so generously providing them grows exponentially with each new addition to his collection.

It had dawned on Sousuke a few weeks ago that Ryuugazaki might have caught a glimpse. Their mailboxes are right next to each other, and Ryuugazaki keeps strange hours… A frustrated sigh hisses through his teeth. First the trash, then the uncharacteristic bumbling of what Sousuke thought was a come-on, and now this.  _ I'm a disaster. _

Stomping to his front yard, Sousuke steals a couple of heavy stones from his landscaping, dragging them back and unceremoniously thumping them on top of his bins. He has no idea if it will actually help, but doing nothing and hoping whatever creature it is just… moves on… is clearly not working.

Sousuke is standing in his bathroom a full two hours later, readying himself for a shower, when it finally occurs to him that he isn't wearing anything even remotely light blue.

  
  


*

  
  


_ DEFCON FUCKING TWO, _ Sousuke grumbles to himself, dragging his forearm through the sweat at his brow.

He'd been reasonably excited about his coworker's assurances, when he'd gotten home from work, but now, after two hours of downloading software and a trip to the hardware store for batteries (WHO USES TRIPLE A'S?) and literally 'duct tape and bailing wire'ing his buddy's 'game camera' to the post of his deck, Sousuke can't deny feeling a bit… downtrodden.

Drenched in sweat. Bleeding from more than one knuckle. Generally simmering in a low-level fury present since he'd awoken this morning to find both bins overturned- for the fourth day in a row.  _ This is my life now, _ Sousuke muses, glad his 10-year old self couldn't foresee the thankless bullshit Sousuke spends his days doing, instead of 'fire-fighting' or 'pro wrestling'. Ah, youth.

But finally, FINALLY… Sousuke gives his handiwork one last looking-over, and proceeds directly to the shower, his only pitstop a drive-by snagging of a beer from the fridge. Of course, he needs to make sure the damned thing works before it gets dark, so once he's scrubbed clean of his middle-class mediocrity- or so he fervently hopes- he cues up a Zeppelin LP and flops to the couch in front of his laptop.

So far, so good. The angle is perfect, the view about as good as it can get, considering the stairs and railing are kind of 'immovable objects'. They obscure the bottoms of the bins, but it isn't the bottoms Sousuke needs.

His coworker had insisted Sousuke was dealing with raccoons. Sousuke wasn't even aware they HAD raccoons.  _ Don't raccoons live in North America or some shit? _ With a grave nod, his friend had agreed, but ominously added 'and now they're HERE'.

Well, what the fuck ever. Sousuke just wants the trash harassment to stop. First step: know thine enemy. Having done what he can for now, Sousuke fishes another beer from the fridge and sets about his usual evening activities; an unending stream of classic records, some half-assed attempts at cleaning, and once he's reasonably pleased with the state of his kitchen, a bit of mindless internet browsing.

He's well-ready for bed, by the time he drags himself there. Feeling a bit foolish about how  _ pleased _ he is with his latest strategy, Sousuke settles down, content in the knowledge that when the morning comes, he'll know exactly what to do with his trash-burglars.

  
  


*

  
  


Sousuke has no idea what to do.

Rather, he has officially trapped his bin-vandals  _ (holy shit, it really was raccoons) _ and turned them over to the proper authorities. But it isn't the grainy video of his stealthy, terrifyingly-humanlike-hand-having villains that has him reconsidering the very foundation of his Self.

It is his neighbor. Ryuugazaki.

The game camera has been… enlightening, in more ways than one. Though Sousuke has more questions than answers, at this point. He'd nearly destroyed his laptop that first morning, clicking through the video snippets captured whenever the camera's motion detectors pinged.

His very first hit had sent the mouthful of orange juice Sousuke was ostensibly trying to swallow rocketing from his mouth, splashing with impressive force over his computer. What in the actual TURD was Ryuugazaki doing on his deck?

Based on the timestamp, darkness had just fallen. An apparition appeared, difficult to make out, approaching from beyond the bins. Human, at least, Sousuke had determined, though still too far away to glean much more. And… naked? No, but shirtless, and Sousuke's brows had furrowed, wondering who the hell was bizarre enough to go digging in someone else's trash half-clothed.

But Sousuke is no spring chicken, and it's hardly the weirdest thing he's heard of, so he'd kept watching, spellbound.

The dude, much to Sousuke's surprise, had seemed to have no interest in the trash whatsoever, creeping right past the bins and onto the steps. And had graced Sousuke with his jaw-dropping, orange-juice-splattering reveal.

It was unmistakably Ryuugazaki, eyes flashing green in the infrared beam, and he had been wearing… a cape? Despite having watched it countless times at this point, Sousuke has no idea. 

The thing had glowed somehow, fluttering stiffly in the breeze, and it was fucking  _ strange _ enough to distract Sousuke from the other baffling addition to Ryuugazaki's wardrobe, at first. The dude was sporting some sort of  _ headgear, _ reminiscent of some of the weirder cosplay Sousuke had had the misfortune of stumbling across. He had appeared to have a couple of Swiffer dusters- if Sousuke had to hazard a guess- protruding from the top of his head.

And as upsetting as all of this had been, none of it is what currently has Sousuke so… disquieted. The next clip had been the raccoons. Several hours later.

Ryuugazaki had never left.

Of course, as soon as he'd realized, Sousuke had shot from the couch, door slamming open as he skidded to stop on his porch, but neither hide nor hair of his fucking  _ weirdo _ neighbor was there. At a complete loss, Sousuke had shoved down the unsettled feeling in his gut and gotten on with his morning, because whether his neighbor was skulking around his backyard or not, Sousuke still had to put food on the table.

It never left his thoughts, however, and even after herding his coworker out the door that night, a distracted 'thanks, Nagisa' on his lips, Sousuke had been in a daze. The guy had been kind enough to bring over traps, and while Sousuke had begun to wonder just what Nagisa  _ did _ in his spare time to have all this gear, he'd still offered a couple of beers and some conversation to him for his trouble.

Once devoid of distractions, though… Well, Sousuke had done the only thing he could think of. Which was, apparently, wait. Think.  _ Obsess. _

Now, with five separate evenings worth of evidence of creepy-ass behavior from his neighbor, eerie in its regimented regularity, Sousuke steeples his fingers below his nose, considering. He can move the camera, of course. Shift it a couple posts down, aim it at the porch, see what the fucker is DOING once he slinks up there. 

But what if Ryuugazaki notices him fussing with it, and realizes Sousuke is onto him? It's clear he doesn't know the camera is there, yet. Sousuke doesn't want to surrender the tiny advantage he has.

Wondering when his life came to this, Sousuke carefully steps to the turntable, settling his favorite Cream album to the plate and starting it up. Takes a couple lengthy gulps from his can for courage. Sneaks out the front door, beer in hand, to make his clandestine way to the back.

He crouches down against the lattice, hidden from Ryuugazaki's line of sight, and considers what he will say. What the hell are you doing? What the hell are you  _ wearing? _ Why are you fucking hanging out on my porch at night? And do you climb the fucking privacy screen when you're done?

Sousuke's careful study of his neighbor's meticulous nature pays off, and Sousuke doesn't have to wait long.

Ryuugazaki approaches silently, pausing at the corner of Sousuke's deck, head tilting. As if he's listening for something. Sousuke stills his breath, hoping the guy can't hear his fucking heartbeat hammering over the music drifting from inside.

Cautious steps bring Ryuugazaki closer, past the bins, onto the steps, and something Sousuke doesn't fully understand begins to knot in his stomach. His fingernails dig welts into his palm, and Sousuke pulls in a quiet breath, unclenching his hand. He is… afraid.

Something is very,  _ very _ wrong.

If that is cosplay, Sousuke has never seen its equal. That is not a cape. Those are not dusters. Eyes bugging, Sousuke watches in mute silence, legs trembling in their crouch. Ryuugazaki heads toward Sousuke's door, and  _ holy shit if that motherfucker has been INSIDE MY HOUSE OH MY GOD- _

Despite knowing the door is locked, Sousuke cannot breathe for a few desperate moments, barely containing a whine when Ryuugazaki instead comes to a stop in front of the wall, on the other side of the porchlight. His head tilts again, and is he… smiling?

Sousuke doesn't get a chance to ponder, because what happens next utterly blanks all conscious thought from Sousuke's already adrenaline-stressed brain.

With a soft sigh, Ryuugazaki  _ climbs his wall. _ He comes to a stop with his face inches from Sousuke's porchlight, looking for all the world like a babe sleeping on its mother's chest. Eyes closed, lips stretched in a contented grin.

Sousuke does not notice himself standing, eyes locked on his neighbor. Does not notice his hitched breath as the 'cape' unfurls into the most terrifying, awe-inspiringly  _ beautiful _ set of wings Sousuke has ever seen. They spread, then meet in a gentle press over the center of Ryuugazaki's back before slowly descending back to the wall.

_ Oh my GOD. _

Ryuugazaki's… well, Sousuke supposes there's no further use in fighting it, and the word comes naturally to his mind. Ryuugazaki's antennae twitch in the soft summer breeze, the feathery bits rippling like a wheat field in the wind.

God knows how long Sousuke stands there. Struck dumb. Simultaneously more frightened than he's ever been in his life, and completely  _ captivated. _ Perhaps he would have been there all night, if it weren't for the beer, long forgotten in his hand, slipping from numb fingers to crack against the gravel landscaping.

He isn't given an opportunity to note the splash and subsequent hiss of liquid, because a sound unlike anything Sousuke has ever heard erupts from Ryuugazaki's chest.

"SCREEEEEEEEEE!" Ryuugazaki screams, eyes huge and locked on Sousuke, and Sousuke distantly notes he is pleased with himself for not pissing his pants when Ryuugazaki motherfucking takes off. As in, flying.

Honestly, Sousuke isn't certain who is making what noise at this point, his own terrified hollering mixing indiscriminately with the  _ bizarre _ suite of sounds coming out of Ryuugazaki's mouth. "Shhhhh!" his moth-neighbor suddenly hisses, and Sousuke's knees give out when Ryuugazaki swoops down, his hand slamming over Sousuke's mouth, the two tumbling to the grass.

"I'm gonna die," Sousuke whimpers between Ryuugazaki's fingers, and the bastard has the audacity to roll his eyes.

"I'm not going to… What? Murder you?" the man snaps under his breath, his gaze sweeping the surrounding homes. "Be quiet for a moment. I can't be seen like this."

Deciding it is in his best interest to comply, Sousuke chokes down the frankly embarrassing sob that is clawing its way from his chest. The two listen, ears pricked, picking up nothing except for Clapton's wailing guitar and the sound of insects. "What's happening?" he finally squeaks when Ryuugazaki returns his attention to him.

"Nothing is happening. Or rather, nothing WOULD be happening, if you weren't spying on me."

"SPYING?" Sousuke growls, earning himself another shush. "You're the one fuckin'..." Sousuke's hand jerks out in an arc over Ryuugazaki's body. "Doing whatever the hell it is you're doing on MY FUCKING PORCH."

"I am simply enjoying the music," he primly responds, and Sousuke's jaw goes slack, lips parting in surprise. "I wasn't bothering you in the least."

"But... you are a moth."

"I fail to see how that has any bearing on the current discussion," Ryuugazaki huffs, lifting himself from the ground to smooth out his wings, a soft chittering sound buzzing in his throat.

Sousuke stands as well, finally convinced he is not about to be… eaten, or whatever other potential horrors a mothman might visit on an unsuspecting human. "But… How?" It isn't the most eloquent of Sousuke's conversational volleys, but it seems to do the trick, and his neighbor lets out a quiet sigh.

"How does anything work?" he shrugs, stretching his neck. Sousuke watches, spellbound, as Ryuugazaki's antennae dip gracefully with the motion. "I was born like this. You were born that way. I might as well ask you 'how' you came to be human."

When Sousuke doesn't respond, Ryuugazaki's shoulders lower. "Look. I would appreciate if you'd keep this-"

"Come inside?" Sousuke doesn't intend for it to come out as a question, because at this point, he will drag Ryuugazaki- kicking and screaming- into his home if he needs to. Luckily, his neighbor doesn't seem to be in the mood to argue, offering Sousuke a resigned nod, and the two bolt up the stairs, Sousuke only barely fumbling at the lock before they are safely inside.

"Uh…" Sousuke grunts, leading him through the kitchen. "You want a beer-"

"YESSSSS," Ryuugazaki interrupts, and Sousuke can't help the chuckle that rolls from his chest.

"Okay, okay." Swinging open the fridge, Sousuke snags one for them both, tossing one to Ryuugazaki, and the two make their way to the living room, Sousuke flopping to one corner of the sofa while Ryuugazaki stands awkwardly by the table.

Squinting up, Sousuke gestures to the couch. "Have a seat. Um, please," he tries, brows scrunching.

"It's ah, rather difficult for me to…" Ryuugazaki gives a tiny flap of his wings, and a soft 'oh' pulls from Sousuke's lips.

_ Well, this is fucking awkward. _ Not knowing what else to do, Sousuke shrugs and throws back a sizeable gulp of beer. "Um, right. Well, you can like… sit on the table, or climb… the wall or whatever you-"

"I'm not going to climb the wall!" Ryuugazaki cries, horrified, as if Sousuke hadn't caught him doing just that a few minutes ago. "GOD!" Ryuugazaki flounces to the coffee table, lips curled into the most precious pout Sousuke has ever seen, and gingerly lowers himself there. "You should put on another record," he mutters, eyes averted, and something clicks into place in Sousuke's brain.

"Is it you?" Sousuke breathes, dutifully standing and heading to the turntable. "Leaving me vinyl in my mailbox?"

"We have similar tastes," Ryuugazaki mumbles, his gaze jerking to Sousuke at Sousuke's surprised laugh.

"No shit."

Wings fluffing in what Sousuke instinctively recognizes as indignation, Ryuugazaki's cheeks flush prettily. "Naturally. I became aware of your listening habits not long after moving in."

"You could… listen to them yourself?"

Ryuugazaki huffs, a rapid clicking in his chest accompanying his defiant chin-lift. "My house has siding."

Eyebrows ascending to his hairline, Sousuke gives himself a moment to reply, switching out the album and slowly sauntering back to the couch. "Um… What, exactly, does that have to do with anything?"

When Ryuugazaki's eyes swing from the record collection to Sousuke's face, Sousuke's chest tightens, the man looking like a child being deprived of its favorite plaything. "The brick is… easier to cling to."

While clearly unappreciative of Sousuke's sudden, hearty laughter, Ryuugazaki sips at his can and endeavors to continue. "And your porch has privacy fencing. And you leave your porchlight on all night."

"You've been doing this for months," Sousuke snickers, head shaking.

"Of course not!"

When Sousuke's eyebrow arches, Ryuugazaki frowns, shoulders sagging. "Only since spring. It is too cold, otherwise." Eyes narrowing, Ryuugazaki leans forward, poking at Sousuke's knee. "And stop laughing! Heavens. You don't see me making fun of your hobbies."

"I guess not," Sousuke cackles, then laughs harder when Ryuugazaki's arms cross over his chest, an annoyed chittering buzzing his lips. "Oh man… The noises you make, though…"

"I could say the same for you!" Ryuugazaki's glare is woefully ineffective, perched as it is over cheeks as red as an apple. "How insulting, to be laughed at when I am simply trying to be as honest as possible!"

Sucking in a calming breath, Sousuke does his best, though he can still feel his cheeks stretching with his grin. "You're right. I'm sorry," he manages, leaning forward to settle his elbows to his knees. Ryuugazaki's nostrils flare at the sudden proximity, and Sousuke finds himself speaking before his thoughts can catch up.

"You're very beautiful." Two sets of eyebrows lift in shock. "Your wings," Sousuke pushes out, embarrassed, but hell, in for a penny, in for a pound, right? There is a half-naked mothman sitting on his coffee table, wanting to listen to his music, wanting to drink his beer… Is it really so much to hope, that he also specifically desires Sousuke's… company? 

"Your cheeks, when you blush." Ryuugazaki's lips part, eyes darkening as his pupils widen, and Sousuke gathers his courage. "I'd… like to kiss you. I've wanted to for months."

The next four seconds are the longest of Sousuke's life, neither man hearing the guitar riff jangling in the background, their eyes locked on each other. "I'm a moth," Ryuugazaki finally whispers, but it isn't a no, not at all. His eyes are wide with surprise, hopeful, and Sousuke can see the rapid rise and fall of his chest.

"I'm a computer programmer," Sousuke breathes, leaning closer. "Nice to meet you."

Ryuugazaki smiles, a tiny thing, but Sousuke doesn't get long to admire it, because Ryuugazaki closes the gap, their lips meeting softly as Hendrix wails from the speakers. It's the chaste-est, gentlest kiss Sousuke's had since middle school, both of them tentative and obviously afraid to spook the other.

"Hey," Sousuke smiles against Ryuugazaki's mouth, because they're  _ here, _ aren't they? They're doing this, and Sousuke isn't going to let another chance like this skitter away. Hand sliding into Ryuugazaki's hair, he pulls closer, pushing softly at the part of Ryuugazaki's lips with his tongue.

A low, warm buzzing begins in Ryuugazaki's chest, the starkly 'un-human' sound yanking Sousuke's eyes open, but Ryuugazaki's tongue- shoving urgently into his mouth- is hot, wet, natural as can be. Sousuke tugs at Ryuugazaki's arms, encouraging him to stand. Exulting in the press of their bodies. Groaning when Ryuugazaki's hand grasps at his hip, fingers tantalizingly close to his ass.

"Oh fuck, this is good," Sousuke gasps when Ryuugazaki's mouth seals onto the skin below his jawline. "Oh god, Ryuugazaki, you-"

"Rei, call me Rei," Ryuugazaki mumbles into Sousuke's neck.

They both notice Sousuke's arousal jerking at the words, the sensation pulling a hissing breath from Sousuke's teeth as Ryuugazaki leans back, eyes squinting in consideration.

"How big is your bed?"

"I'm sorry?" Sousuke gulps, fingers twitching in Ryuugazaki's hair, his other hand gripped tightly to his waist.

"I require a fair amount of space," Ryuugazaki purrs, unfurling his wings to their fullest extent, spine arching, and rolls his hips against Sousuke.

"Oh fuck," Sousuke whimpers, thoughts frantic. "Um, it's a- it's a k-king, I think?"

A light chuckle leaves Ryuugazaki's throat. "That should be adequate."

Just barely, Sousuke discovers after nearly dragging Ryuugazaki there, but well worth the trouble, and for the first- but hopefully not last- time in his life, he falls asleep a handful of hours later, exhausted and satisfied, covered almost entirely in a soft, possessively draped wing.

  
  


*

  
  


"Rei." Brows furrowed, Sousuke leans closer. "REI. Wake up."

Sousuke is utterly charmed by the tiny snuffle that leaves Ryuugazaki's nose, but he is a man on a mission, and shoves aside his desire to kiss every inch of Ryuugazaki's cheeks in service of the greater good.

"Reeei. REIIII. RYUUGAZAKI!"

_ Finally, _ Sousuke grumbles internally as Ryuugazaki shoots up from the bed, blinking pitifully in the morning light filtering through the shades. "Guh?"

Sousuke holds in a laugh. "Yeah, guh. Rei… Where the hell are your wings?"

"Mmwings?" Ryuugazaki mumbles, fists scrubbing at his eyes. "They're on my back, Sousuke-san."

"Drop the -san," Sousuke sighs, scooting closer, and brushes his fingertips down Ryuugazaki's shoulder blade. "And no, they're not."

Giggling, low and musical, Ryuugazaki finally drops his hands, eyes sparkling. "For heaven's sake, Sousuke-sa… Sousuke. You've seen me in the daytime, before. What were you expecting?"

This pulls Sousuke up short. What WAS he expecting? He'd certainly never noticed the wings or antennae prior to last night. "They disappear?" Sousuke squeaks out, his dumbfounded frown only serving to egg on Ryuugazaki's laughter. "What… like magic?"

"You've met a live, in-the-flesh mothman, and you are surprised at THIS?" Ryuugazaki snickers, turning his torso to give Sousuke a better look.

Mouth dropping open, Sousuke reaches out with reverent fingers, tracing the thin, pearlescent lines in Ryuugazaki's skin. At first glance, it appears to be the most detailed, staggeringly gorgeous tattoo Sousuke's ever seen, but the color shifts in the sunlight, an iridescent rainbow flashing from countless points along Ryuugazaki's back. "Holy shit," he breathes. "It's so beautiful."

Sousuke is being tackled to the bed before he can piece together what's happening, a beaming grin pushing dimples into Ryuugazaki's cheeks. "Why, thank you," Ryuugazaki murmurs, pressing a kiss to the very tip of Sousuke's nose. "I'm quite fond of them, myself."

Chuckling, Sousuke flips them over, bracing on his elbows, and crashes their mouths together. "Ewww," Ryuugazaki gasps against him, shoving him back. "Brush your TEETH!"

"Only if you'll stay for breakfast," Sousuke purrs, dragging a wide, wet tongue up Ryuugazaki's cheek, pulling ever more indignant noises from the man trapped beneath him.

"GROSS! Good GOD, you heathen! Fine, get off of me, I'll stay, I'LL STAY!"

Goal achieved, Sousuke allows himself to be rolled to the side, snickering happily as Ryuugazaki drags a disgusted hand over his face. "I have NEVER-"

"Rei."

Ryuugazaki splutters to a stop, blinking at Sousuke's timid smile. "Yes?"

"Let's do this again, sometime, okay?"

Eyes crinkling, Ryuugazaki huffs a tiny laugh. "If you'll brush your god-forsaken teeth, we can 'do it again' after breakfast."

An involuntary groan shudders from Sousuke's chest, and he damn near flies off the bed. "You better be a fast eater," he growls, streaking for the kitchen as naked as the day he was born, and Ryuugazaki pauses only to tug on his pants before following happily after.

  
  
  
  


**That Evening**

Yamazaki: Hey Rei, it's Sousuke.

Ryuugazaki: Hello, Sousuke. :) I see you found my message.

Yamazaki: Heh. Yeah. Actually scared the crap out of me, at first. Took me a sec to realize what you did. By that time I'd already screamed myself deaf in my shower

Ryuugazaki: For such an outwardly imposing man, you certainly startle easily.

Yamazaki: Kindly fuck off. It's been a weird few days.

Ryuugazaki: It was soap. On a shower door. I fear for your sanity.

Yamazaki: You and me both, fucker. I'm dating a moth.

Ryuugazaki: Better than dating a lunatic :D

Yamazaki: You didn't seem to mind this morning

Ryuugazaki: That, sir, is a street that runs both ways

Yamazaki: CUT IT OUT, YOU ARE DISTRACTING ME

Yamazaki: I got a hold of you for a reason

Ryuugazaki: I see. How may I help you, then? :)

Yamazaki: What the hell were you yapping about with the 'blue', that morning you helped me clean up?

Ryuugazaki: Oh.

Ryuugazaki: Don't remember

Yamazaki: Holy shit, you are so bad at lying that I can tell you are doing it even over text

Ryuugazaki: I SIMPLY WISHED TO GIVE YOU A COMPLIMENT.

Yamazaki: I wasn't wearing blue

Ryuugazaki: Right. Well. 

Ryuugazaki: You were earlier.

Yamazaki: I was asleep before that.

Ryuugazaki: And what were you wearing while you slept? Or more pertinent to my role in the conversation, what were you wearing when you burst onto your back deck like a bat out of hell?

Yamazaki: NOOOOOOOOOO

Yamazaki: fuck my life

Ryuugazaki: Funny, you said pretty much the exact same thing, then. 

Yamazaki: Holy shit, you fucking creep, where WERE YOU

Ryuugazaki: Minding my own business, enjoying the full moon from the comfort of my own roof.

Yamazaki: wait

Yamazaki: YOU KNEW I HAD RACCOONS!!! Why didn't you say anything??

Ryuugazaki: AND JUST HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO THAT, YAMAZAKI SOUSUKE? Oh, hello there, neighbor-I'd-like-to-fuck. I couldn't help but notice last night, whilst enjoying a spot of moonlight on my… veranda… like other totally normal humans do at 3 in the morning, that you have some vaguely raccoon-shaped vermin getting into your trash, and before I could chase them off myself, you scared the ever-loving god out of both them and myself by almost literally ERUPTING onto your back porch? Wearing a pair of underwear that has featured prominently in my dreams daily since then?

Yamazaki: I… have no idea what to say to that.

Ryuugazaki: I felt guilty. I truly apologize.

Ryuugazaki: That's why I came over to help. It was my way of apologizing for not helping in a more concrete fashion. And then you, being the kind soul you are, offered to make me breakfast for my 'trouble', and I felt like a monster, and didn't leave my house for nearly a week, afraid I would run into you and you would see my guilt all over my face.

Yamazaki: I'm still kinda pissed, but that's actually really cute.

Ryuugazaki: Well.

Ryuugazaki: I will accept cute.

Yamazaki: You have something you'd prefer? :)

Ryuugazaki: I'm not a difficult man to figure out. You'll get there. :)

Yamazaki: Haha, okay.

Yamazaki: Wanna come over and listen to records?

Ryuugazaki: Can we hang out on your porch?

Yamazaki: You can have the chair closest to the porchlight

Ryuugazaki: Ooooh, and a sweet-talker, too… :) Be there in a minute.

  
  



End file.
